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Minding the Gap: Re-developing railway embankment areas

Ricardo Madrid and Sally McKenzie

Neylan Architecture, Brisbane Australia

ABSTRACT

Urban infill is being increasingly implemented by local governments around the world

to mitigate unsustainable suburban sprawl, tackle the rising costs of inner-city living

and re-vitalise decaying urban areas. Through a case study this paper explores the

viability of an urban infill development within the inner-northern Brisbane suburbs of

Albion and Wooloowin which have been dissected by the rail line and impacted by

rail yards which occupy valuable inner-city land. We propose strategies for not only

overcoming traffic issues and spatial barriers, but for using hybrid urban infill types to

consolidate a Transit Oriented Development or TOD. By doing so, existing marginal

and obsolete urban areas may be used to promote sustainable communities through

densification, improved connectivity and mixed use.

KEYWORDS: Urban infill, Transit Oriented Development, sustainable, densification

INTRODUCTION: Holistic Transport Strategies

In recent years Brisbane has benefited from development of significant transport

infrastructure – particularly prioritized busways and vehicular tunnels relieving pressure

on existing surface roads. Augmentation of the existing heavy rail network is also

underway. However, so far, we have not achieved optimal integration of these

transport initiatives with the pre-existing urban fabric. This problem of integration is

not new. There are numerous examples of transport infrastructure in our city bisecting

neighbourhoods, sterilizing large chunks of real estate and creating remnant

government owned land parcels that sit idle for decades. Interestingly the current

Queensland Government is undertaking an audit of its land portfolio and is identifying

land assets which are underperforming and which could be made to work harder for

the Queensland economy, either through disposal or development in partnership with

the private sector. In addition the Government’s South East Queensland Regional Plan

2009 – 2031 highlights the importance of dense mixed-use infill development in

proximity to transport corridors. These factors provide the impetus for the proposition

discussed in this paper.

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URBAN INFILL: A short story

The location which we propose as a viable case study site for an infill development

is within the inner suburbs of northern Brisbane. The site is a currently neglected

and under-utilised package of land bounding a rail corridor which divides two

consolidated inner-city neighbourhoods. In his paper, ‘The barriers to using urban infill

development to achieve smart growth’, Terrance Farris identifies an ideal location for

an infill site as one which;

• has access to existing infrastructure and services

• is adequately zoned for the repurpose

• offers a profitable development opportunity for investors (Terrance Farris, J.

2001. p2)

This site is within an area which has traditionally experienced high property growth

and has a mix of commercial and residential zoning within the precinct. Urban infill

sites can provide opportunity for capturing and adding value to the entire suburb,

benefitting not only the investor and residents but government also, through increased

tax revenue. Government outlay for projects such as amenity and transport

infrastructure upgrades when done so in consultation with private investment can

generate such positive outcomes as increased land value, high density and job

creation. When implemented along existing transport corridors there are advantages

such as increased public transport use, taking pressure of already congested inner

city vehicular networks.

URBAN INFILL PRECEDENT: Bilbao, Spain

There are cities around the world which are taking advantage of the economic,

environmental and social benefits of urban rejuvenation through integration with mass

transit infrastructure. A successful collaboration between government and private

sectors can improve the liveability and useability of their inner city precincts

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These ‘before and after’ images demonstrate how disused land adjacent to the former

rail corridor can be activated with public green spaces and multi-use developments

incorporating the new transport facilities located underground. In conjunction with local,

state and federal government sectors, private investors and with community input, a

strategic plan was developed for revitalising and repurposing the derelict industrial

zones within the inner city precincts. The existing rail line was relocated

underground, with a new park adorning the site, activating the once neglected rear

side of the neighbouring buildings. A new 900 dwelling mixed use development

compliments the new landscaping and public areas by reconnecting the existing built

environment.

Before & After:

Ametzola urban renewal ,

Bilbao - Spain

Image courtesy of World

Cities Summit Mayor’s

Forum 2013

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T.O.D: The perfect urban infill

The premise of a transit orientated development (TOD), as identified by Burke

(2005) and Batt (2011), is to increase density through a mixed use development

inclusive of residential, commercial and retail facilities along public transport nodes and

corridors. In turn creating a community precinct where short vehicular travel is

negated in favour of pedestrian forms of transport. By providing amenities utilised by

the local neighbourhood and visitors alike, in close proximity to an easily accessible

and affordable public transport systems, we have nominated three advantages to the

public and private sector and community can arise;

1. The urban renewal of a neglected pocket of land or building

2. The economic benefit of a mixed use development

3. The possible decreased reliance of vehicles and increased uptake of public

transport use

The ‘Milton’ development encompasses the existing Milton train station within

Brisbane’s inner suburb and provides 298 apartments complimented by retail and

commercial suites. The TOD utilises the heavily serviced Milton rail line in a suburb

The Milton: A transit orientated development in inner-Brisbane

Image courtesy of realestate.com.au

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which is close to existing amenities such as retail, commercial and medical facilities

as well as the entertainment precinct at Suncorp Stadium.

CASE STUDY: The Albion – Wooloowin rail corridor

The proposal involves a vestigial area of vacant land and underutilised industrial

property along the Albion-Wooloowin rail corridor including the embankment between

the neighbourhoods. The study explores how a mixed use development would allow

for improved social cohesion, diversity and integration through implementation of hybrid

building types – the opportunity for traditional uses, retail, housing and commercial,

combined with community orientated infrastructure. Included within this framework

would be public housing, housing for people with a disability, aged care and child

care facilities; the result being a sustainable, connected and inclusive village-type

urban environment.

Of particular interest is the intersection which dissects the two suburbs at the Bridge

Street and Hudson road rail crossing bridge, an onerous junction with accidents

occurring on a frequent basis. The railway line and related maintenance facilities

separating Albion and Wooloowin have created two areas which previously worked as

a single urban entity and now as a result of this divide, connectivity has been

compromised and urban cohesion has been broken. As a consequence of this

fragmentation, pedestrian and vehicular networks have been severed, resulting in a

dangerous and inefficient layout. The result is a substantial amount of land with no

visual connectivity between neighbourhoods and blank and inactive frontages along the

railway.

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We propose that a successful urban infill and TOD strategy can be applied to the

Albion/Wooloowin precinct. It would not only respond to the immediate concerns for

an improvement to the road network but would promote substantial aspects such as

the increased use of public transport, an enhanced sense of community and safety

through considered design and a development which is also conscious of its

environmental impact. This strategy, where there is a demand for higher density

living, aims to combat the increasingly sprawling outer suburbs and reliance on

vehicular transport to reach facilities and services.

The model which we aim to provide includes mixed use developments ranging from

four to 16 storeys which promote high density living whilst showing consideration for

The Proposal: Implementation

Existing: Urban Components

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the existing urban fabric and low rise residential streetscapes. The site itself would

cover four precincts spanning the rail corridor, with an approximate gross building

area of 150,000 square metres. This is an opportune example of development which

has often been overlooked due to small site areas. We suggest the zoning and

requirements for how land is typically distributed for development along rail corridors

and transit hubs be renegotiated in the inner suburbs so that the economic, social

and environmental benefits of medium to high building types and densities are

considered.

The development also proposes the redirection of existing road ways to integrate the

currently disparate suburbs of Wooloowin and Albion; this is value-added by

encouraging pedestrian and bicycle traffic through the connection of currently

discontinuous walking and bike paths. This, in addition with building over and adjacent

to the existing rail line will help to reconnect the urban landscape, previously severed

by the railway trench. The existing Albion and Wooloowin train stations will be

integrated along with both new and existing development approved projects, which will

synthesise the precincts along the rail corridor. Street lines will be activated through

building frontages which encourage pedestrian movements through the public areas and

along tree lined boulevards which complement the higher-density development.

CONCLUSION: Preferred outcomes

The Proposal: Axonometric

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It is anticipated that with the sale of land flanking rail corridors once again at the

forefront of Government conversation, that our proposal contributes to the discussion

and offers a viable proposition for the rejuvenation of inner suburban sites. By

encouraging government and private sector partnership to develop prime real estate

this urban renewal project can be promoted as an archetype for future infill sites

throughout the city. The concept is applicable to numerous other locations in

Brisbane which include significant Government owned land and infrastructure holdings;

as the Queensland Government has professed a preference for urban consolidation

through the utilisation of existing services infrastructure as opposed to suburban sprawl

on greenfield exurban sites. The preferred outcome following this study is for the

serious consideration of the opportunities currently present to redevelop existing

disregarded sites using a transport orientated development model as a means for

urban infill.

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References

Azkuna, I. 2013 “The Transformation of Bilbao” in the World Cities Summit Mayor’s

Forum 2013 accessed from

http://www.worldcitiessummit.com.sg/mayorsforum/blog/transformation-bilbao.

Batt, A. 2011. “Delivering Transit Oriented Development in South East Queensland -

The case for comprehensive station area planning” in AITPM 2011 National

Conference [Conference Paper] accessed from

http://www.aitpm.com.au/index.php?option=com_docman&

task=cat_view&gid=48&Itemid=19&limitstart=20

Burke, M. & Brown, L. 2005, “Rating the Transport Sustainability of Transit Oriented

Developments: will developments achieve objectives?” in Transit Oriented Development:

making it happen [Conference Paper] accessed from

http://hdl.handle.net/10072/2734.

Terrance Farris, J. 2001. “The barriers to using urban infill development to achieve

smart growth” in Housing Policy Debate. 12:1 pp1-30.

Queensland Government. 2009. “The South East Queensland Regional Plan 2009–

2031” from http://www.dsdip.qld.gov.au/resources/plan/seq/regional-plan-2009/seq-

regional-plan-2009.pdf.